


The Right Steps

by RoseLaflesh



Series: Learning to Dance [8]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Amethyst being cute again, Amidot, Comfort, Developing Relationship, F/F, Fluff, Metal Powers, Training, What's up with Lapis?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-15
Updated: 2016-10-15
Packaged: 2018-08-22 12:07:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,827
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8285303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoseLaflesh/pseuds/RoseLaflesh
Summary: Peridot's decided that she needs to be able to fight and wants Amethyst to train her.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, NaNoWriMo is just around the corner and I'm so excited. Last year I did a Amidot story that never went anywhere. I didn't finish it and the following Steven Universe episodes made it painfully out of cannon, so it's now collecting dust somewhere on my hard drive. This year I'm doing another Amidot story, but this time I'm coming with a plan. It's going to be part of the Learning to Dance series and if all goes well, I'll be posting the chapters as I finish them. Also, it may or may not have something to do with what is happening at the end of this story. ;P

“So… Amethyst,” Peridot said after they had woken up from a long nap. Well, Amethyst was the one who had woken up. Peridot was still getting the hang of sleeping.

“Yeah? What is it.”

“I want to learn how to fight.”

Amethyst made a sound that was half gasp, half laugh and an attempt to suppress them both. “Really?”

“Yes.”

“Does this have to do with that monster that threw you around? Because it was doing the same to me as well.”

“No, well, sort of. But you said it yourself. I don’t know how to fight, and when I was facing that thing, I had no clue what to do. The only thing I could think of was to stand in its way, and we both saw how well that went. I know I’m not exactly built for combat, but if Pearl can do it, then I can too.”

Amethyst smiled. “Alright, let’s start by sparring.”

“Wait, really! Awesome. What’s sparring?”

“The best way to learn how to fight is to live it, to experience it. Fighting is all about feel. Everything is moving and you can’t think and it’s the best. Sparring is just a way to get the feel of fighting without the chance of, you know, actually getting hurt… most of the time.”

“So, how does one begin with sparring.”

Amethyst stood up and held out her arms. “Punch me.”

“What?”

“Let’s see how hard you can hit. Punch me.”

“Okay,” Peridot said as she wound up the punch and jabbed Amethyst’s stomach.

“Wow, okay, I really thought you’d hit harder than that.”

“I thought you said the point of sparring was that no one got hurt.”

“Yeah, but you’re not going to get better if you don’t put your all in it. Like this.” Amethyst ducked down and swept the legs, knocking Peridot over.

“Put my all into it!” Peridot shouted as she jumped to her feet and threw her entire weight into the punch.

“Okay… maybe punching isn’t the way we should go,” Amethyst said.

“Maybe if I could learn to draw a weapon like you guys."

“But you have your power, you can control metal.”

Peridot’s eyes widened with inspiration. “Then take that!” Peridot waved her hand and an empty can of beans bounced off of Amethyst’s head. “I can’t do anything right!”

Amethyst set a hand on Peridot’s shoulder. “Hey, you’re just getting started. Sometimes these things take time.”

“How much time?”

“I don’t really know. Maybe you should talk to Pearl when she reforms. But I think you might be on the right track.” A grin spread on Amethyst’s face.

She picked up the can that hit her and walked around the barn, picking up pieces of scrap metal as she went along. She then started pulling the metal apart and forming several triangles of jagged metal.

“Float these,” Amethyst said as she handed the crude daggers to Peridot.

“Okay.” Peridot sounded hesitant. She tried to float all of them, but she struggled to split her focus on so many pieces and they all fell to the floor. She quickly tried to pull one up. It wavered unsteady in the air, but she got it.

“Alright,” Amethyst drew her whip and carved an X into the wood wall, “Try to make it fly and hit the middle of the X.”

“Right,” Peridot said, sounding confident. The metal triangle flew with less grace than a paper airplane, but it managed to gain some speed and bumped into the wall. It stuck in the wood a few feet away from the X and then toppled to the ground.

Amethyst shrugged. “It’s a start, but imagine this, once you get good enough, you can send flying knives at whatever you want.”

“Yeah.” Peridot liked the sound of that as she lifted up another shard of metal and sent it at the X. This time it was even further off, but it flew a little straighter. “How am I getting worse?”

“You’re not getting worse. It moved a lot better that time.”

“But it didn’t even hit close to the X. I don’t think that one even made a dent in the wood. How am I going to be any help when I can’t even defeat a wall!”

“Come on, this takes time,” Amethyst set a hand on Peridot’s back, giving it a small rub, “It’s not like you were made knowing how to fight.”

“You’re right. It’s pointless.” Peridot let her limbs become heavy.

“I did not say that. I’m saying that you might have to work at some things, but just because you weren’t made knowing it, doesn’t mean you can’t.”

Peridot didn’t say anything. She just let out a defeated sigh.

“You’re… not just doing this for the attention, are you?” Amethyst asked.

Peridot looked up in confusion. She was feeling truly upset, and it hurt a little that Amethyst suggested she was faking.

“Because Steven told me what you said after the sweater thing. Look, I know I’m not the greatest girlfriend. Maybe I really do wait until things are bad to do what I should do or say what I should say, but please don’t be upset all the time. It hurts to see you’re not happy, and it hurts to know that it’s my fault.”

Peridot’s voice caught in her throat. They stood in silence until she managed to choke out the words, “I didn’t realize it upset you.”

“Of course it does! I don’t know how to do this relationship thing. I mean I’ve seen them happen, but I’ve never actually done anything like this.”

“It still makes you more experienced in it than me.”

Amethyst sighed, “I’m just worried I’d ruin things.”

“Me too.” Peridot lifted up another scrap metal dagger and slowly floated it to hit the middle of the X. It bumped against the wall a bit before toppling down when Peridot couldn’t keep concentrating anymore.

“Hey, look, you hit the X.”

“Why does this have to be so hard?”

“You’re not used to hitting things,” Amethyst suggested with a shrug.

“Yes I am! When I had my limb enhancers, I hit you guys a lot.”

“Right,” Amethyst remembered, “But your powers are still new to you. New things are hard to deal with. I really wish that Pearl was here, she’d probably have advice on, I don’t know, your stance or something.”

“What’s wrong with my stance?”

“I don’t know, but I’m pretty sure Pearl would find something wrong with it.” After a laugh, they both managed to relax a bit. “Okay, so try again, but maybe don’t care about the X. I mean, there’s no point in using your ability in a fight if your just doing this,” Amethyst picked up one of the pieces of scrap metal from the ground and began poking Peridot gently in the side, “Excuse me miss corrupted gem monster thing, but could you please impale yourself on my knife? I’m very good at aiming it but I can’t quite stick it in you, so a little help would be nice.” 

Peridot couldn’t help but double over in laughter from Amethyst's jokes and the way the metal tickled her. Seeing an opening, Amethyst lunged for her, dropping the piece of metal, and now tickled Peridot with her own fingers.

“Man, Percy, I didn’t realize you were this ticklish. I will always use this power for evil!” She playfully growled.

“No, stop,” Peridot gasped between the few breaths she could grab between laughs.

Amethyst let her go, and offered a hand to help Peridot back up. As she got to her feet, Peridot leaned forward and gave Amethyst a loving kiss on the lips. Amethyst wrapped her arms around Peridot, holding the kiss for as long as possible.

“Thanks for helping me,” Peridot whispered when they finally broke apart.

“Ugh, can you be any more disgusting,” Lapis groaned from the barn door.

“Oh, Lapis, you’re back already!” Peridot said, jumping a step away from Amethyst, feeling a little embarrassed.

“Already? I’ve been gone for hours. Didn’t you notice?”

“Oh, I guess I’ve been a little distracted. Amethyst and I were having a nap and I guess time flies when you’re asleep.”

“I see, and what are you doing now?” Lapis asked only half interested.

“I’m trying to learn how to use my metal powers in a fight.” To demonstrate Peridot lifted one of the pieces of scrap metal and sent it towards the wall. It moved the quickest of all her attempts, but it still bounced off the wood, leaving only the lightest dent.

Lapis chuckled, “You’re doing it all wrong.”

“And what do you know about it?” Amethyst asked.

“I also have the ability to move matter,” Lapis said with a roll of her eyes, “You need to put your feet a little further apart,” Lapis grabbed Peridot’s ankles and positioned her feet, “So that you have a good center of gravity to pull from.” She then set her hands on Peridot’s waist. “Keep your hips steady since you need to pull power from your entire body. Good, now try moving the metal.”

Peridot lifted up the second to last piece of scrap metal and sent it flying towards the wall. This time not only did it manage to embed itself halfway into the wood, but she also managed to hit the middle of the X.

“It worked!” Peridot cheered, “I guess you were right Amethyst, it was my stance after all.”

“Yeah!” Amethyst barely disguised her uncertainty as she hugged Peridot, squeezing herself between Lapis and her girlfriend.

Peridot took the stance again as she lifted the last make shift knife and sent it into the wall next to its friend. This one was even further embedded in the wood. 

“I can do this now!” Peridot turned to look at Amethyst. “I can finally fight with you. We can protect each other.”

Amethyst grinned, quietly kicking herself for feeling jealous. Of course there was nothing to feel jealous about. Sure, Lapis might have been a little too touchy, but it worked to help Peridot, and that’s what mattered. As she looked into the gem’s eyes, which stared back at her with joy and love, she didn’t know why she ever doubted her.

“That’s right,” She grinned, “You’ll need to practice some more, but with the way you learn things, I bet you’ll be the best gem in no time.”

“Watch out Home World, no one can stop Peridot now!”

Amethyst held Peridot close. “I love you.”

Lapis made a gagging sound. “I’m leaving before I get sick.” She summoned her wings.

“Okay, see you later." Peridot waved. "We’re still catching the new episode of Camp Pining Hearts later, right?”

“Sure,” Lapis managed to force a small smile before taking off.

“We’re not sickening, are we?” Peridot asked once Lapis was out of sight.

“No way. We’re perfect.” Amethyst pulled Peridot in for another kiss.

**Author's Note:**

> Oh no, is something up with Lapis? ;)


End file.
